Alioli
The ingredients
The name says it all - in Catalan
all-i-oli (alioli) in Castillian speaking regions it is often referred to as
ajoaceite – just garlic and oil. But, if using the traditional pestle and mortar it can be tricky to get a proper emulsion as the garlic cloves can dry out during the initial mashing stage, so people started adding egg yolk, a piece of bread (crumb only, with a dribble of water) or a bit of boiled potato.
If using pestle and mortar most people insist the oil should be poured onto the pestle and never straight into the mortar.
Here’s a photo
http://www.directoalpaladar.com/curso-d ... i-o-alioliElectric mixer, blender, … and other Google obfuscations
When I moved to Madrid (1974)
batidoras / liquadoras , (i.e. blenders with the knives at the bottom of the glass jug) were rare, but just about every Spanish ama de casa had a
minipimer or stick blender - nowadays often also referred to as a batidora.
Ian,
in the recipes you give I’d say it’s definitely a stick blender with its tall, narrow beaker. Put the ingredients in the beaker in the order given. Insert stick blender and holding the beaker down very firmly start whizzing – keeping the blender at the bottom. As the ingredients start to come together very gradually lift the stick up and then down again a few times until it’s all amalgamated. Does that make sense?
If you feel you need to add extra oil a third hand is very useful - either to dribble in the oil or hold the beaker down as it’ll want to fly off the worktop.
Milk
I can’t vouch for the whole of southern Spain or the Levant, but certainly in Atlantic Andalusia in the summer
mahonesa /mayonesa blanca (white mayo) tended to replace the normal egg-based mayo in most bars and restaurants. Cold cabinets were not as prolific or reliable as they are now, so it made sense not to keep an eggy mix sitting out on the counter.
I suspect- though have no proof – the milk alioli developed from the mayo, especially once people used blenders and egg yolks rather than the traditional pestle and mortar to make the alioli , creating a very different, more subtle sauce / dip in the process.
Ian,
If you’d like translations do let me know – a PM or e-mail might be more practical.
The paella looks very good, but meatballs? … meatballs !!! I almost had to get the smelling salts out (Grin)
ATB
Marja